Scotch Grove, the Original Site of Iowa’s First County Seat, Crosses the Block Live on Proxibid Proxibid (www.proxibid.com), the world’s largest real auction marketplace, will be the exclusive provider of live online bidding when sixteen buildings and hundreds of thousands of retail, wholesale a
News-Antique.com - Sep 07,2011 - Omaha, NE – August 7, 2011 – Proxibid (www.proxibid.com), the world’s largest real auction marketplace, will be the exclusive provider of live online bidding when sixteen buildings and hundreds of thousands of retail, wholesale and service items preserved in their original packaging as well as store displays from Balster’s many enterprises in Scotch Grove, IA, cross the auction block later this month. The live auction of both the real estate and the inventory will take place Thursday, September 15, Friday September 16 and Saturday, September 17 at 9:00 a.m. Central, daily with live online bidding commencing at those times. Bidders can log on, view the auction catalog, and create a bidding account at www.proxibid.com/grafe.
Everything from a 1939 Packard to restored tractors, farm implements, tools, vintage household items, store displays, oil cans, vintage advertising and more will cross the block in this three-day auction. Also crossing the block will be much of the real estate from this dormant Iowa town.
The Balster's array of enterprises — from the gas station and lumber yard to the implement dealer and grocery store — were the center of activity in Scotch Grove. Starting with Arend Balster, a German immigrant from a ship-building family, Balster's provided the commercial traffic and social functions that typified Midwest life through two World Wars and the Great Depression. It was Balster's that brought the Model T to Scotch Grove and closed the street for dancing on weekend nights. At one point, they served as a distributor of farm machinery, parts, and implements—even moving into US steel, household appliances, and office equipment. Now, after 137 years in business, Balster’s is closing its doors.
“The items available in this auction are a true time capsule of Scotch Grove,” said Judd Grafe, managing auctioneer and president of Grafe Auction. “Hundreds of items will cross the auction block during this auction, and every piece tells a story about Balster’s. This auction is rich in history – one collectors of all sorts will not want to miss.”
For more information about this auction, to create an account on Proxibid, or to place your bid, please visit www.proxibid.com/grafe.
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Omaha-based Proxibid brings auctioneers and bidders together for a world-class online auction experience. Since 2002, the Company has worked with more than 2,500 auctioneers to bring more than 35,000 auctions to a global, online audience. With registered bidders from more than 190 countries, no other provider in the industry connects more buyers and sellers than Proxibid. The Company’s proprietary live Internet bidding service and Web site were developed by auctioneers and industry-leading professionals to provide our bidders with the most user-friendly and comprehensive online auction experience possible.
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